One way or another, we’re just one or two more days away from the end of a crazy 2020 MLB season. Tonight the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays square off in Game 6 of the World Series, with the Dodgers holding a 3-2 advantage after winning Game 5 on Sunday. The Dodgers got 5 ⅔ innings out of starter Clayton Kershaw, who was followed by a jazzed Dustin May, who threw 1 ⅔ quality innings. Victor Gonzalez came on and fought his way out of a jam, and Blake Treinen closed the door with Kenley Jansen unavailable. Rays starter Tyler Glasnow gave up three runs in the game’s first two innings, adding to his already sizable ERA.
Can the Dodgers complete their first title since 1988 tonight, or will Tampa Bay push things to a Game 7? Don’t miss our baseball betting preview.
MLB: World Series, Game 6 (October 27)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Tampa Bay Rays
When: Tuesday, October 27, 2020, 8:08 pm ET
Where: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
TV: FOX
Radio: ESPN Radio
Live Stream: MLB.tv
Projected Pitching Matchup: Blake Snell (TB) vs Tony Gonsolin (LA)
Why should you bet on the Dodgers?
The left-handed bats have been particularly devastating for the Dodgers. Corey Seager is raking, with a .471 batting average in the World Series, along with a pair of home runs. Max Muncy had two more hits in Sunday’s game, and Joc Pederson can also deliver punishment to a baseball.
If you like the Dodgers here, you think that seeing Snell a second time in this series will shift the edge to the Dodger hitters. Snell did win the AL Cy Young Award in 2018, but the Dodgers would not have seen Snell at all this season, due to the unique scheduling format of the regular season, leaving teams playing only in their geographic region, within their own division and then the same geographic division in the other league.
Why should you put your money on the Rays?
This is the same matchup of starting pitchers that we saw in Game 2, and Blake Snell proved dominant that day, throwing four no-hit innings before permitting a couple of runs in the fifth. He fanned nine Dodgers, with pinpoint location on his fastball and then using his slider to generate some awkward-looking swings. Tony Gonsolin, for the Dodgers, gave up a home run to Brandon Lowe in the first inning and was yanked after 1 ⅔ innings, not really getting a chance to see that many of the batters. The Dodgers have had to use more of their bullpen than the Rays have, so even with the Monday off day, the pitching depth seems to favor Tampa Bay.
On offense, the Tampa Bay bats should get some pitches to hit from Gonsolin, who has permitted eight earned runs in 7 ⅔ postseason innings on the mound. Left-handed bats have been inconsistent for the Rays in the Series. Kevin Kiermaier has six hits — but Joey Wendle and Austin Meadows have not done much yet. Manuel Margot and Randy Arozarena have been heroic, but they can’t be expected to carry the team every at-bat.
Final Score and Prediction
The Rays actually have a sweet duo lined up to pitch Games 6 and 7, with Charlie Morton waiting in the wings to start Game 7 should the Series get that far. I would expect to see Walker Buehler back on short rest for Game 7 for the Dodgers. Given the short leash on Gonsolin, I expect some yips out of the Dodgers in this one — and a 4-3 Tampa Bay win.
MLB Betting Odds
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